Constitutional Whig

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Event Details

A message was received from the President of the United States, by A. J. Donelson, Esq. his Secretary. The Vice President communicated a letter from the Postmaster General, which, with the accompanying documents, was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, by a vote of 19 to 18. [The documents consisted of copies of all contracts made by him or his predecessor, on which additional allowances had been made for additional services: copies of all contracts existing when his immediate predecessor came into office, on which similar allowances had been made. The letter adds, "that the labor required for the investigation of each case, on more than 1700 routes, and making the statements, besides preparing copies of about 1400 contracts, comprising together nearly 6,000 large folio pages, has required the constant and diligent service of several clerks for about six months. The current business of the department has been delayed, so far as could be done without producing permanent loss; and, together with the new arrangements rendered necessary in answering the several calls for information from the committee instituted by the Senate on the 15th of December, it has not been practicable, with all the force that could be applied, to finish the report at an earlier period."] Mr. Bell presented the petition of the inhabitants of Oxford, New Hampshire, praying for the suppression of Sunday mails. It was referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads. Mr. Clayton presented the memorial of the inhabitants of Milford, Delaware, praying for an appropriation to improve the navigation of Mispillion Creek, seriously obstructed by the late storms. It was referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed. Mr. Hendricks submitted the following resolution, which was twice read and agreed to: Resolved, That the Committee on the Public Lands be instructed to inquire into the expediency of sanctioning the selections already made, so far as the same may remain unsold, of the Michigan road lands, and of permitting other selections to be made in lieu of those sold at the land offices at Crawfordsville and Fort Wayne. NAVY OFFICERS. Mr. Barnard submitted the following resolution: Resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of increasing the pay and emoluments of Master Commandants in the Navy of the United States: and, also, of allowing additional compensation to Lieutenants when acting as first Lieutenants of a ship of the line, frigate, or sloop of war, according to the rate of the vessel. The Vice President requested the Senator from Maryland [General Smith] to take the chair, as he had to meet the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund this day. DUTIES ON SUGAR. Mr. Brown, of North Carolina, introduced a bill to reduce the duty on imported Sugar. Mr. Brown moved to refer the bill to the Committee on Commerce. The motion was rejected; yeas 16; nays 25. On motion of Mr. Johnston, of Louisiana, it was then referred to the Committee on Manufactures. Twenty or thirty private bills were received from the House of Representatives. DUTY ON SALT. Mr. Benton gave notice, that to-morrow he should ask leave to bring in a bill to abrogate the duty on salt. JAMES MONROE. The bill for the adjustment of the claim of James Monroe, passed in the other House, was read a first time, and laid on the table until to-morrow, at the suggestion of Mr. Poindexter who wished time to prepare an amendment to it. The bill to repeal the charges on passports and clearances, was ordered to a third reading. The bill to credit the Treasurer of the United States with the amount of unavailable funds, and the bill to direct the manner of issuing patents on confirmed land claims in Florida, were read a second time, and referred to the appropriate Committees. The bill respecting the jurisdiction of certain District Courts was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading. POST OFFICE INVESTIGATIONS. The resolution of Mr. Grundy, declaring that the Select Committee, appointed to examine into the present condition of the Post Office Department, are not authorized to call witnesses who have been removed before them for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of their removal, was again taken up. Mr. Holmes concluded his speech against the resolution. Mr. Grundy commenced a reply in support of the resolution, but before he had concluded, the Senate, on motion of Mr. Hayne, adjourned until to morrow.